ObjectiveTo search for the optimum external masking time and tonal models for patients with tinnitus.MethodsTwenty-seven patients with cochlear tinnitus were selected respectively from three different out-patients departments and divided into three groups. Nine patients in every group were treated with different masking parameters according to factorial design which had three masking noises, i.e. narrow band noise (NBN), wide band noise (WBN), speech noise (SN),and three masking time ranges, i.e. 15,30,45 minutes. The results before and after treatment were compared and analysed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). ResultsThe treatment effect when masking for 15 minutes was worse than that for 30,45 minutes, but there was no difference between 30 and 45 minutes. The NBN had the best effect when tinnitus signal was single, the WBN was effective for tinnitus with multiple sounds. ConclusionNBN or WBN masking for 30 minutes showed better therapeutic effect.

Objective To analyze the vascular architecture characteristics of the complex direct cavernous arteriovenous fistula (cd-CAVF) and to discuss its treatment and the curative effect of interventional embolization. Methods The hospitalization records, imaging features and operation records of 12 patients with cd-CAVF were retrospectively analyzed. Results In the 12 patients with cd-CAVF, the lesion’s blood supply arteries included internal carotid artery (ICA,n=8), primary trigeminal artery (PTA,n=1), middle cerebral artery (MMA,n=2) and basilar artery (BA,n=1). Different degrees of “arterial steal” phenomenon could be observed in all patients. The drainage routes included the superior ophthalmic vein and the inferior petrosal sinus (n=10), and cortical vein (n=2). Interventional embolization was carried out via ICA (n=4), through both ICA and BA (n=5), through MMA (n=2), or through BA (n=1). For the embolization of the lesion the balloons were used in 8 patients, steel coils were adopted in 2 patients, and balloons together with coils were employed in 2 patients. All the patients were followed up for 3-6 months. After the treatment the clinical symptoms and signs disappeared, and the lesions were completely cured in all patients with no complications. During the follow-up period of (60.2 ±26.8) months no recurrence of CAVF was observed. Conclusion The blood supply of cd-CAVF comes directly from the rupture of the blood vessels surrounding the cavernous sinus wall, the “arterial steal” phenomenon is prone to occur, and the drainage via the superior ophthalmic vein and the inferior petrosal sinus is more often seen. Transarterial balloon embolization is very effective for the treatment of cd-CAVF, and the use of coils together with multi-artery approaches is an effective supplementary method.

Objective To know the position and shape of implanted electrode array with plain X-ray after cochlear implantation. Methods According to the Cochlear View developed by Xu plain X-ray was taken postoperatively to obtain the best view of electrode array. Results The Medical imaging of plain X- ray taken before switching on or following the concerning of the performance could assist in the detection of electrode arrays in improper position, partial insertion or bending inside the cochlea. It helped audiologists to make decisions to switch off affected electrodes for the optimization of the program, if functioning electrodes were insufficient and recipients failed. Conclusion It is recommended to conduct post-operative X-ray examination routinely for cochlear implant recipients. Audiologists should be able to use medical imaging to identify the position of intra-cochlear electrodes and apply the information to guide the mapping work.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the myocardium damage of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) and the impact on regional left ventricular mechanics by imaging and pathology techniques.Methods Eleven open-chest animal models of Beagle were employed to collect the short-axis views of mitral annular,papillary muscle and apical level of three complete cardiac cycles using gray-scale imaging at the baseline and blank irradiation 5 min later(transmitting frequency 1.7/3.4 M Hz,mechanical index 1.0).After that,5 ml of SonoVue was gotten a shot by intravenous bolus injection,the heart was exposed by ultrasonic wave for 5 min continuously,and then the same images collected were at the point-in-time irradiation immediately,20 min,40 min and 60 min later.The short-axis circumferential strain and strain rate,radial strain and strain rate were measured and calculated by EchoPAC multi-parameter workstation,meanwhile including conventional of cardiac function.All the dogs were killed after the experiments and the myocardium was harvested for HE staining and observed with transmission electron microscope for the tissue microstructure.Results①Conventional parameters of cardiac function:there was no significant difference before and after MCE in the heart rate,blood pressure,ejection fraction,left ventricular end-systolic volume and end-diastolic volume,stroke volume,cardiac output,mitral flow spectrum prior to the E/A,tissue Doppler mitral annular e/a and E/e ( P ＞0.05).During the whole process of experiment,the dogs’ vital signs were stable.②Compared the segmental circumferential strain and strain rate,radial strain and strain rate between baseline and each treatment groups,these parameters had a trend of increase in most segments,but the difference was not statistically significant in most segments (P ＞0.05).③HE staining at the light microscope demonstrated a small amount of myocardial cell infiltration of inflammatory cells near the outer membrane (21.2％),and very few part of the muscle fibers dissolved and fractured (6.1％).④The section of transmission electron microscope showed all the structures were normal except that a small amount of endothelial cells were mild swelling,some red blood cells were leaked,some myofilaments were regional dissolved,the relevance ratio were 28.6 ％,42.9 ％ and 21.4 ％ respectively,and the abnormal area was less than 10％ of the entire field of vision.ConclusionsMCE has no significant impact for the global function of heart and the regional mechanical state,and furthermore there is no serious pathological damage on the myocardium.

Animals ; Guinea Pigs ; Heart Ventricles ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate left intra-ventricular diastolic blood flow patterns and fluid dynamics in pre diabetics using vector flow mapping(VFM),and to explore the value of left intra-ventricular hydromechanics characteristics assessment of intracardiac flow by VFM with more sensitive indexes.Methods Forty four patients with type 2 diabetes,twenty-eight pre-diabetes patients and thirty-three normal volunteers underwent VFM to determine the left ventricular(LV) diastolic blood flow patterns and fluid dynamics.The two-dimensional color Doppler flow images data were acquired in standerd apical fourchamber view during 3 complete cardiac cycles.These images were analyzed using a dedicated off-line workstation.At different level (mitral annulus,papillary muscl and apex level),the diastole blood flow parameters of LV including flow velocity and volume,velocity gradients (△V),pressure gradients (△P),diastole flow volume,vortex intensity ( Ⅵ),vortex area ( VA),vortex radius (VA) were derived.Thedifferences of the above parameters were compared among the three groups.The correlationship between diastolic function parameters and LV hydromechanics indexes were analyzed.Results ① Compared to normal group and pre-diabetics group,the LV diastolic function parameters E/A and e/a in diabetics group were lower( P ＜0.01),with no differences for E/e( P ＞0.05).There were no significant diffrences of these indices between diabetics group and pre-diabetics group( P ＞0.05).②)Compared to normal group,the intraventricular peak flow velocity at basal level,△V and △P in diabetics group and pre-diabetics group were lower( P ＜0.01),but there were no significant differences of these indices between diabetics group and prediabetics group( P ＞ 0.05).③Compared to normal group,the diastolic positive volume at basal level in diabetics group and pre-diabetics group was lower ( P ＜0.01 ),but there was no significant differences of these indices between diabetics group and pre-diabetics group ( P ＞ 0.05).④ Compared to the normal group,the Ⅵ in diabetics and pre-diabetics group was decreased,but there were no significant differences ofthese indices between diabetics group and pre-diabetics group( P ＞0.05).The VA and VR in diabetics and pre-diabetics group were increased,but there were no significant differences of these indices between diabetics group and pre-diabetics group ( P ＞ 0.05).⑤ There were no correlationship between diastolic function parameters and LV hydromechanics indexes.Conclusions There is the same LV diastolic blood flow patterns and fluid dynamics existed in pre-diabetics as diabetics.VFM could be used as a new methods to demonstrate the early left intra-ventricular fluid dynamics damages in pre-diabetics patients.

Objective To investigate the chemical constituents of Rannunculus chinensis Bunge..Methods The chemical constituents of R.chinensis were isolated by chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. The structures of compounds were identified by phytochemical properties and spectral analysis(MS and NMR).Results Ten compounds were isolated and identified as quercetin(1),kaempferol(2),luteolin(3),quercitrin(4), protocatechuic acid(5),gallic acid(6),ellagic acid(7),kaempferol-3-O-β-rutinoside (8),β-sitosterol (9) and 7-ketologanin (10). Conclusion Compound 10 is isolated from R.chinensis for the first time. Compounds 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8 are obtained from the title plant for the first time.

Objective To investigate the chemical constituents of the 60% alcohol extract of Solanum lyratum Thunb..Method The compounds were isolated by column chromatography over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 and preparative TLC.Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical property and spectral data.Resulut Eleven compounds were isolated and identified as:ononin(1), genistin(2), 5-hydroxyl ononin(3), formononetin(4), daidzein(5), daidzin(6), 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde(7),vanillic acid(8), protocatechuic acid(9),ethyl-α-D-arabinofuranoside(10) and ursolic acid(11).Conclusion Compounds 1,2,3,10 and 11 are isolated from S.lyratum for the first time.

Holmium ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lithotripsy, Laser ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; Ureteroscopy

AIM:To investigate the effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R)-calcineurin (CaN) signa-ling pathway on the expression of sodium current channel Nav 1.5 at mRNA and protein levels in the hypertrophic ventricu-lar myocytes from neonatal rats .METHODS:The ventricular myocytes were isolated from the ventricles of 1-day-old neo-natal Sprague-Dawley rats and were divided into 4 groups according to different drug intervention as control group , pheny-lephrine (PE) group, losartan (Los)+PE group and cyclosporin A (CsA)+PE group.The method of RNA interference mediated by adenovirus carrying short hairpin RNA ( shRNA) was used to knock down the gene which encodes the beta subtype of CaN A subunit (CnAβ) and the cells were divided into 4 groups as Ad-Null group, Ad-Null+PE group, Ad-CnAβshRNA1 group and Ad-CnAβshRNA1+PE group.The mRNA expression of brain natriuretic peptide ( BNP) ,β-my-osin heavy chain (β-MHC) and Nav1.5 was detected by RT-qPCR.The protein levels of CnAβand Nav1.5 in the whole-cell extracts were determined by Western blot analysis .RESULTS:Treatment of the neonatal rat ventricular myocytes with PE for 24 h increased the protein-to-DNA ratio and the mRNA expression of BNP and β-MHC.The size of the cell surface was also increased after PE treatment .Treatment of the cells with PE increased the protein expression of CnAβ, and re-duced the protein expression of Nav 1.5.Both Los and CsA prevented those effects of PE .The mRNA expression of Nav1.5 was reduced by PE , and no significant difference of Nav 1.5 mRNA expression among PE group , Los+PE group and CsA+PE group was observed .Silencing of CnAβin the neonatal rat ventricular myocytes using Ad-CnAβshRNA1 inhibited the ability of PE to increase the mRNA expression of BNP , and diminished the ability of PE to reduce the protein expression of Nav1.5.CONCLUSION:AT1 R-CaN signaling pathway participates in regulating protein expression of Nav 1.5 in the hy-pertrophic ventricular myocytes from neonatal rats .